Ahmedabad tragedy: Black box found, AI 787 fleet check ordered
A day after Air India Flight AI-171 plunged into a doctors’ hostel complex in Ahmedabad, killing 241 people on board and another 24, including five MBBS students, on the ground, investigators recovered the aircraft’s digital flight data recorder (DFDR) — commonly known as the black box — from the rooftop of the crash site, offering the first major lead into Thursday’s aviation catastrophe.
In a parallel development, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) ordered enhanced inspections across Air India’s fleet of Boeing 787 aircraft — 33 in total.
Meanwhile, only eight bodies had been formally identified and handed over to their families as of Friday evening.
The black box, found on top of the BJ Medical College hostel building into which the Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner crashed, was retrieved within 28 hours of the disaster, Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu confirmed on X.
“This marks an important step forward in the investigation. This will significantly aid the inquiry into the incident,” he posted.
While the DFDR has been secured, search teams are still combing the debris for the cockpit voice recorder (CVR), the second black box crucial to understanding crew conversations and cockpit audio in the final moments before the impact.
The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB), which is leading the probe, confirmed the recovery and is now analysing the data to reconstruct the plane’s final trajectory. Officials said over 40 experts from central and state agencies were assisting in the investigation.
The DGCA ordered enhanced inspections across Air India’s fleet of Boeing 787 aircraft, all powered by General Electric’s GEnx engines. These inspections include a review of takeoff parameters, engine fuel system checks, cabin air compressor tests, and examination of hydraulic and electronic engine control systems.
“Flight control inspection to be introduced in transit inspection till further notice,” the DGCA stated in an order. It further directed Air India to complete these one-time checks in coordination with its regional offices.
“Closure of maintenance actions based upon the review of repetitive snags during the past 15 days must be carried out at the earliest,” the DGCA said in a formal order. US-based GE Aerospace, which manufactures the GEnx engines, said it was working closely with Indian investigators and regulators.
Meanwhile, forensic identification efforts continue at the Ahmedabad Civil Hospital, where the authorities have collected DNA samples from nearly 250 individuals to identify the deceased.
As of Friday evening, only eight bodies had been formally identified and handed over to their families. Over 25 ambulances remain stationed outside the hospital for transport of the remains once the identification is complete.
The district administration has assigned one male and one female officer to each group of 20 families to facilitate communication and support.
The police have registered a case of accidental death as investigations continue into what is now one of the deadliest air disasters in India’s aviation history.
India